Chapter Three
Terry was so tired he was afraid his brain would explode if another person asked him anything. He'd just gotten off another double shift, and he was ready to take a shower and crawl under the covers of his bed for the next century.
He really shouldn't have taken that extra shift, but every penny counted. He pulled his truck to a stop next to Dan's vehicle. It'd taken a little bit, but he was finally getting used to a new truck parked in his driveway.
Hector didn't own a car. He drove a motorcycle. Well, in the summertime, anyway. In the wintertime, unless he needed for something special, Terry let Hector use his truck. Considering they lived inside the town limits and Hector worked in a bar five miles outside of town, it was easier for Terry to get around than it was for Hector to get to work.
Terry was surprised to hear music coming from the house and see the lights on as he climbed out of his truck. It wasn't the middle of the night, but close enough. The music was actually soothing, country, jazz, or maybe blues. He wasn't exactly sure, but at least it wasn't head-banger rock like Keith used to listen to.
That crap made his teeth chip.
Grabbing his go-bag, Terry closed the door of his truck and trudged up the steps to the house. The moment he opened the door, the most alluring aroma surrounded him. Terry gulped as his saliva glands activated.
He dropped his bag next to the door and followed the sweet and tangy aroma to the kitchen. Pausing in the doorway, he took in the scene. Dan stood at the stove, stirring something that smelled heavenly. A strong scent of garlic filled the air, which made sense. Terry could see a bread basket sitting on the table set for two.
His heart sank when he realized Dan must have a date. "Hey."
"Hey." Dan smiled as he glanced up. "Right on time."
"Huh?"
"I knew you'd be hungry after your shift, so I made us dinner."
Terry's eyebrows peaked. "You made me dinner?" Had anyone made him dinner since his parents passed away?
"Don't get too excited. It's not gourmet."
"If it's not prepackaged, it's gourmet to me."
Dan chuckled then waved a wooden spoon at him. "You have about fifteen minutes to go shower and change before I put dinner on the table."
Terry licked his lips before forcing himself to turn back for his bag. His stomach rumbled. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until now. He grabbed his bag and then hurried up the stairs to his room, his old room.
After packing all of Keith's stuff up and turning it over to the sheriff, Terry had reclaimed his old room, and Dan had moved into Keith's room. It had been a couple of weeks, but they were settling into an easy cohabitation.
Hector worked nights most of the time. He was a bouncer and general clean-up guy at the Rusty Nail Bar and Grill. Dan worked days, but often had night shifts when he was out on stakeout or something.
That left Terry, who never really knew what shift he was going to get until the week before. He'd like to be one of the paramedics who worked the same hours every time, but he didn't have enough seniority yet. He was one above lowest man on the totem pole at this point. He got what he got and was just glad he had a job.
Still, coming home to a home-cooked meal after a long shift was really something spectacular. Wanting to give Dan's effort its due, Terry hurried through a quick shower and then dressed in some loose jogging pants that hung low on his hips and a tank top before hurrying downstairs. He reached the kitchen just as Dan was setting a large pan down in the middle of the table.
The man glanced up, gave his body a quick once-over from head to toe, then nodded. "Take a seat. It's ready."
Terry slid into one of the chairs and then waited for Dan to be seated. He looked at the food on the table, amazed. "What is this?"
"Bowtie pasta, chicken, and spinach cooked in an alfredo sauce."
Terry wasn't one to usually eat cooked spinach, but this smelled really good. "Smells delicious."
Dan smiled as he dished them both up a heaping spoonful. "There's some salad and garlic parmesan breadsticks as well."
"I can't believe you made this for me."
Dan shrugged as if it was no big deal. "It's no big deal. I had to make food for myself, and I figured you would be hungry after working a double shift. It didn't take anything to make a little more."
Terry wondered if there was a little more involved than that when he spotted the red flush in Dan's cheeks. The guy was incredibly sweet, something Terry hadn't run into in a long time. "Well, maybe one day I can return the favor."
Dan's mouth spread wide in a smile. "I'd like that."
